Irish traditional counties, found on the map
Learn all 26 traditional counties in the Republic. Dublin and Tipperary each appear as one county. Northern Ireland’s six counties are outside this selection.
26 to find, 8 a run.
4 rounds, 6 of 8 to pass each. Pass one and its places are yours.
Every one on the map
Every place listed below can be asked in this game. Places you find in a passed round drop out of your remaining pool.
- Carlow
- Cavan
- Clare
- Cork
- Donegal
- Dublin
- Galway
- Kerry
- Kildare
- Kilkenny
- Laois
- Leitrim
- Limerick
- Longford
- Louth
- Mayo
- Meath
- Monaghan
- Offaly
- Roscommon
- Sligo
- Tipperary
- Waterford
- Westmeath
- Wexford
- Wicklow
What the map tells you about each one
The paragraph the game shows when you find each one. Reading them first is not cheating.
- Carlow
- Carlow is one of Ireland’s smallest counties. The Barrow links its county town with Kilkenny and the southeast, while the Blackstairs Mountains rise along its eastern edge.
- Cavan
- Cavan belongs to the historic province of Ulster but lies in the Republic of Ireland. Its drumlin hills and lakes include the area where the Shannon begins.
- Clare
- Clare brings together the Cliffs of Moher and the limestone landscape of the Burren. Ennis is its county town, and the Shannon forms much of its southern boundary.
- Cork
- Cork is the largest of the Republic’s traditional counties by area. This map combines the city and surrounding county, from Cork Harbour to the peninsulas of West Cork.
- Donegal
- Donegal is an Ulster county in the Republic, with Atlantic headlands and extensive Gaeltacht areas. A narrow connection near Bundoran links it with the rest of the state.
- Dublin
- Traditional County Dublin includes the capital and its surrounding towns. It is shown as one county here, although four local authorities govern this area today.
- Galway
- Galway stretches from Connemara and the Aran Islands to eastern farmland beside the Shannon. The city stands where the Corrib reaches Galway Bay.
- Kerry
- Kerry contains the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas, Killarney’s lakes and Carrauntoohil. The county combines Atlantic coastlines with Ireland’s highest mountain ranges.
- Kildare
- Kildare’s plains include the Curragh, closely associated with horse racing and military training. The county sits on the main routes west and south from Dublin.
- Kilkenny
- The River Nore flows through Kilkenny city, known for its castle and medieval streets. The county meets the Suir in the south and the Barrow along much of its eastern edge.
- Laois
- Laois is an inland county around Portlaoise. The Slieve Bloom Mountains rise along its boundary with Offaly, and the Barrow begins in this upland area.
- Leitrim
- Leitrim follows the upper Shannon through Carrick-on-Shannon and Lough Allen. It reaches the Atlantic near Tullaghan despite being mostly an inland county.
- Limerick
- Limerick city stands at the head of the Shannon estuary. The traditional county extends south towards the Ballyhoura Mountains and west towards Kerry.
- Longford
- Longford is a small inland county of the Irish midlands. Its western edge follows the Shannon, and its southern waters meet Lough Ree.
- Louth
- Louth is the smallest traditional county by area. It runs from the Cooley Peninsula near Northern Ireland to the Boyne estuary at Drogheda.
- Mayo
- Mayo includes Achill Island, Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick. Lough Mask lies near its southern boundary with Galway, while its northern coast faces the Atlantic.
- Meath
- Meath contains the Boyne Valley’s prehistoric sites, including Newgrange. It also contains the Hill of Tara, associated with Ireland’s ancient high kings.
- Monaghan
- Monaghan is one of the Republic’s three Ulster counties. Drumlin hills shape its countryside, and its eastern and northern edges meet Northern Ireland.
- Offaly
- Offaly contains extensive peatlands and the monastery of Clonmacnoise beside the Shannon. The Slieve Bloom Mountains connect its southern landscape with Laois.
- Roscommon
- Roscommon stretches along the western side of the Shannon system. Athlone’s western bank lies in the county, while the town’s eastern bank is in Westmeath.
- Sligo
- Sligo’s landscape includes Benbulben and the shores of Lough Gill. Its coastline and mountains feature prominently in the writing of W. B. Yeats.
- Tipperary
- Tipperary is shown as one traditional county, with the former North and South Tipperary areas joined. It extends from Lough Derg to the Suir valley and the town of Clonmel.
- Waterford
- Waterford’s city developed as a Viking port near the meeting of the Three Sisters rivers. The county stretches west along the coast towards Dungarvan and the Blackwater valley.
- Westmeath
- Westmeath is a midland county with many lakes. Its western edge meets the Shannon at Athlone, while Mullingar stands farther east near Lough Ennell and Lough Owel.
- Wexford
- Wexford faces the Irish Sea and the Celtic Sea. Its ports include Rosslare, while New Ross lies inland on the Barrow near the county’s western edge.
- Wicklow
- Wicklow is known for its mountains and the monastic valley of Glendalough. Coastal towns and upland routes connect the county with neighbouring Dublin.
How this one works
How many traditional counties are on the map?
26. Every one of them is on the map, and a run asks 8 of them. Pass a round and the places you found in it drop out of the pool, so the next run is what you have left.
What is a round?
A run of 8 questions, and 6 right passes it. 4 rounds cover the whole map, and the counter at the top of the Ireland page counts the ones behind you. Passing is what banks a round's finds: miss the mark and nothing is taken off the map, so every place that round asked about is still there to be asked again. A round is always the places you have not found yet, and when fewer than five are left it is topped up with a few you have found as review, so the last round is never one or two questions. Three quarters of it passes it.
Can I start the map over?
Yes. "Reset this map" under the counter puts all 26 back in the pool and sets the rounds to zero the moment you press it, so the whole map is there to be found again from nothing. It clears this map only; the other maps of Ireland keep their progress.
Do I need an account?
No. The game plays in the page, and a guest's progress is kept in their own browser. Signing in carries it between devices and earns XP for a run.
What happens when I get one wrong?
The map names what you actually hit, then lights up the right answer in green and tells you something about the place. Missing one is how most of this map gets learned.
The other maps of Ireland
Hungary has the same map in Hungarian counties and Budapest. Kenya has the same map in Kenyan counties. Norway has the same map in Norwegian counties. Romania has the same map in Romanian counties and Bucharest. Sweden has the same map in Swedish counties. All three together on the Ireland atlas page, the country itself on the Ireland guide, and the other two hundred on the world map.